Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Puranpur in Pilibhit district in Uttar Pradesh, dreamt of an American lifestyle, but his aspirations came crashing down within just 22 days. Singh, who attempted to enter the US via the dangerous 'Donkey Route,' was caught at the border and detained before being sent back to India. He shared his harrowing experience with the police following his return home.
Gurpreet, a resident of village Banjaria, narrated his ordeal to the police after being handed over to his family by a team from Delhi. His journey to the US began after he took a loan of `22 lakh in hopes of securing a better future. Having first traveled to England on a study visa in September 2022, he paid `15 Lakh to an agent operating an IELTS center in his city. However, complications arose when his fees for two months were not deposited, leading to his expulsion from school.
With his visa eventually expiring, he resorted to labor jobs to survive and attempted to secure a work visa for Canada or Australia, but failed.
The Dangerous 'Donkey Route'
While in England, Gurpreet met an Indian who promised to help him reach the US through the illicit 'Donkey Route', a notorious human smuggling pathway involving multiple countries. His brother arranged `22 Lakh to fund this treacherous journey. In December 2024, he was provided with a tourist visa for Spain, from where he embarked on a perilous journey, walking several kilometers through rugged jungle paths from Spain to Mexico.
Upon reaching Mexico, smugglers seized his mobile phone at gunpoint and destroyed it. Eventually, on January 13, 2025, he reached the US border, where he was immediately apprehended by American soldiers.
Gurpreet was kept in a US detention camp for 22 days, where he was provided food but was not allowed to bathe. He described his treatment in detention as largely fair, except for a notable distinction in behavior towards detainees from Haryana, whom the American soldiers allegedly labeled as "uncivilised" due to their language.
Following formal deportation procedures, Gurpreet, along with the other 103 deported Indians, was flown back to India in handcuffs and shackles. They first landed in Goa before being transported to Amritsar.
Back in Pilibhit, Gurpreet's family endured weeks of anxiety after losing contact with him following his arrest. His mother, Jaswinder Kaur, had been deeply distressed, and upon hearing of his deportation, she remained sorrowful. His return home on Thursday saw a gathering of relatives and close acquaintances, who flocked to his residence to console the family.
Despite investing a total of `37 Lakh in his failed migration attempt, Gurpreet returned empty-handed and visibly dejected.
His father, Gurmeet Singh, expressed disappointment and grief over the ordeal. Following an extensive two-and-a-half-hour interrogation by local authorities, Gurpreet was finally released to his family.
PTI reported a similar ordeal from Kurukshetra about Robin Handa.
"I was assured that I would reach the US within a month, but it turned out to be a lie," says Robin Handa, whose family paid `43 Lakh to a travel agent for a chance for him to build a better life in a foreign country.
Over the next six months, the 27-year-old computer engineer from Ismailabad in Haryana's Kurukshetra travelled across countries and crossed a sea, sometimes going hungry for days. When he finally reached the US border, he was arrested by the border patrol.
Handa was among the 104 illegal migrants from Indians, including 33 from Haryana and 30 from Punjab, who were deported by the US authorities on Wednesday.
Since the deportees' return, many have shared stories of being defrauded by unscrupulous travel agents.
Of the 33 deportees from Haryana, 14 belong to Kurukshetra district.
Many of these 14 are staying with their relatives to avoid the media glare, according to sources.
Police said efforts are being made to gather information about the agents sending youths to the US through the 'donkey route'. Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Varun Singla said that the police contacted 10 of the 14 deported youths and their families to get information about the agents. He said the families of four of the deportees have left for undisclosed locations. None of the families that the police spoke to has lodged a complaint against any agent. They said they would think about it. Cases will be registered only after complaints are received, Singla said.
In Punjab's Bhateri village, Jagtar Singh, who wanted to join his US-based brother, claimed he was also duped by a travel agent.
"I boarded a flight from Delhi to Malta on January 11. I was then taken to Spain and Mexico via the 'donkey route'. I entered the US on January 24 and was caught by the US Border Patrol," he said. He said he was kept at a detention facility for 11 days before being deported.
"My dream of building a better life has been shattered and my life has been ruined," said a distraught Singh, who lives with his wife, their two daughters and his mother.
In Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, Harwinder said he paid `42 Lakh to a travel agent who promised him smooth passage to the US. His journey, however, was anything but smooth.
"I was taken to Brazil and from there, I was forced to undertake a journey by road through Ecuador, Colombia and Panama.
There (Panama) I was forced to pay the remaining amount to the travel agent in India as I had only paid a part of it earlier," Harwinder said. He said from Panama, he and many others embarked on a perilous journey through the dangerous 'donkey route' to enter the US, where all of them were arrested. Many of the deportees from Punjab and Haryana have said they paid travel agents between `40 to 50 Lakh to enter the US without paperwork. An immigration consultant said the illegal travel agents first take people to some European country and then to Peru, Panama, Ecuador and Guatemala to reach the US-Mexico border. He said these agents charge anywhere between `30 to 55 Lakh per person.
Though people are aware of the risks involved in this journey that involves crossing mountains, forests and sea, they opt for it anyway, he said. According to immigration consultants, migrating to the US is common in Punjab's Majha and Doaba regions and Haryana's Kurukshetra, Karnal and Ambala districts.